Tina Fey Returns to ‘Saturday Night Live’ to Play Palin

Actress and comedian Tina Fey returned to her old stomping grounds Saturday to portray Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP’s vice presidential candidate. Fey was a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live from 1997-2006 before leaving to write and star in the Emmy-award-winning “30 Rock.”

But Fey came back to portray Palin, to whom she bears a striking resemblance. The brunettes share the same side-swept bangs and prominent spectacles. The SNL costume department only had to put Fey in a red high-button jacket and tease her hair into an up-do and the transformation was complete.

For the skit, which opened the program’s season premiere, Fey was joined by cast member Amy Poehler, who has long taken the role of Hillary Clinton on the show. Fey and Poehler, as Palin and Clinton respectively, batted about the issue of sexism in the campaign.

“Tonight we are crossing party lines to address the now very ugly role that sexism is playing in the campaign,” Fey-as-Palin said.

The zingers flew easily and seamlessly. Poehler-as-Clinton: “I believe that diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy” to which Fey-as-Palin responded: “And I can see Russia from my house.”

The real Sarah Palin was on her campaign plane when the episode aired. The JetBlue charter plane outfitted television screens on the back of their seats allowed the candidate, her staff and the traveling press to watch. No word yet on whether Palin found the skit funny.

About Washington Wire

Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.